Craft Beers, Microbreweries and Homebrewing

  • Thread starter Astronuc
  • Start date
In summary, Bell's Brewery is a good brewery. Some American beers are brewed with top or bottom yeasts, but ultimately it depends on the style.
  • #351
Bottled and corked my blueberry mead/melomel today, turned out quite well.

I have ~5gals on the smoked/spiced pale ale to bottle. Wanted to keg it this weekend as well, but my CO2 regulator seemingly quit working, which is needed to keg. Also means I can't drink the rest of my spiced kolsch in a keg, though I suppose I could open the top and pour it all out into appropriate containers, i.e. stein.
 
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  • #352
It's Oktoberfest! Great brews!

I've been enjoying Innis & Gunn Scottish Ale aged in an oak Malt Whisky cask. It has a nice smoky malt whisky taste. For the ale age in rum cask, see my post #308 on page 20.
 
  • #353
I might have to drag myself over to Oak Pond Brewery. They take Oktoberfest pretty seriously and usually come up with some great batches.
 
  • #354
Oktoberfest! Need to get some oompah music and german beer. Who says you need to be in Germany for Oktoberfest, why not in my home?
 
  • #355
Insanity said:
Oktoberfest! Need to get some oompah music and german beer. Who says you need to be in Germany for Oktoberfest, why not in my home?
When I was a college freshman (back in the '60s), there was this little place called the "Beer Stub" that sold "German Dark Beer" on tap. They would fill up a gallon jug for 2 bucks. I always bought two gallons for a night of partying. :eek:
 
  • #356
I love Oktoberfest Marzen style beers. I've already picked up quite a few different Marzens and will be scoping out the local stores for more every week. I'm definitely going to stock up.

I was disappointed by the Ayeinger Oktoberfest-Marzen, but only because Celebrator is just SO good. It's probably one of the easiest beers to drink I've ever had, but there was just nothing special about it. (I did buy a second one and might pick up more if I don't find anything else worth buying)
 
  • #357
Just bottled a habanero IPA. Added a sliced habanro pepper to the last 10 mins of the boil, and then added another during the secondary, which it sat on for about a month.

Can definitely taste the pepper, but not to overwhelming to my taste buds.
 
  • #358
Insanity said:
Just bottled a habanero IPA. Added a sliced habanro pepper to the last 10 mins of the boil, and then added another during the secondary, which it sat on for about a month.

Can definitely taste the pepper, but not to overwhelming to my taste buds.
What a cool idea. You might want to try one of rhodys ghost peppers. They do have a unique flavor.
 
  • #359
dlgoff said:
What a cool idea. You might want to try one of rhodys ghost peppers. They do have a unique flavor.

Not bad actually, the heat is there noticeably in the finish, but doesn't linger or overwhelm in the aftertaste. Quite drinkable I think, though those sensitive to capsicum may not agree.

Been told though the capsicum flavor will increase as it ages, so it might get fiery hot with time.
 
  • #360
Insanity said:
Not bad actually, the heat is there noticeably in the finish, but doesn't linger or overwhelm in the aftertaste. Quite drinkable I think, though those sensitive to capsicum may not agree.

Been told though the capsicum flavor will increase as it ages, so it might get fiery hot with time.
Insanity,

Where did you hear the capsaicin's flavor will increase as it ages ? Don't know if that is true or not, but I suspect subjecting the ghost plants I grow to repeated periods of stress, lack of water, makes the capsaicin in them a bit stronger. Don't know for sure because I didn't send them off to have it measured, just by tasting.

Rhody... Thanks for the heads up, Don...
 
  • #361
Fellow homebrewer informed me as a precaution. Said that the heat increases with age.

I do not know if it is true or not either, but took it as a possibility. Might be due to other flavor characteristics decreasing, and the capsicum being left as the predominate flavor.

Do not know for certain, just my amateur guess.

Maybe capsicum is a self replicating molecule and it consumes other compounds in the beer and creates more capsicum?
 
  • #362
Insanity said:
Maybe capsicum is a self replicating molecule?
Anyone, chemist's, Borek ?

Rhody...
 
  • #363
rhody said:
Anyone, chemist's, Borek ?

Rhody...

Sorry, actually capsicum is the plant genus, capsaicin is the compound. Knew it seemed both right and wrong at the same time.

Wikipedia says this about capsaicin in beverages...

Recently beverage products are emerging with capsaicin as an active ingredient. The first two capsaicin beverages to hit the market are Prometheus Springs Elixirs launched in 2007 and Sweet16 launched in 2011. It is common for people to experience pleasurable and even euphoriant effects from ingesting capsaicin. Folklore among self-described "chiliheads" attributes this to pain-stimulated release of endorphins, a different mechanism from the local receptor overload that makes capsaicin effective as a topical analgesic. In support of this theory, there is some evidence that the effect can be blocked by naloxone and other compounds that compete for receptor sites with endorphins and opiates.
 
  • #364
Hi Everyone,

I'm looking for someone who would be interested in joining my brewery venture. I am really looking for a manufacturing engineer or similar who could help in the construction of a brewery. Would also like to hear from other like-minded entrepreneurs.

Looking forward to hearing from you,

Nick
 
  • #365
My habanero IPA got first place at the local brewery's homebrewing contest, out of ~120 entries. The prize is having it brewed at the brewery and being served on tap at their pub.
 
  • #366
Insanity said:
My habanero IPA got first place at the local brewery's homebrewing contest, out of ~120 entries. The prize is having it brewed at the brewery and being served on tap at their pub.
Cool! or Hot!
 
  • #367
Insanity said:
My habanero IPA got first place at the local brewery's homebrewing contest, out of ~120 entries. The prize is having it brewed at the brewery and being served on tap at their pub.
That is so neat. Congratulations.
 
  • #368
Astronuc said:
Cool! or Hot!

It is not too hot, it finishes nicely. Everyone apparently thought so too.
 
  • #369
Got myself a new toy. :biggrin:
101_1493.jpg

101_1497.jpg

101_1495.jpg

101_1500.jpg


I apologize for the large images.
 
  • #370
Single purpose fridge, huh ?

Rhody... :-p
 
  • #371
Very nice...for more taps and kegs, I've seen people use a chest freezer. Temp controllers are sold to keep them at correct temps, and you can fit many more kegs in. Course with up to 6-8 taps possible, you will need to brew a different beer for each, but that is not a problem.
 
  • #372
Tis my man fridge. On tap right now is cream soda. Super happy with the results, can't wait to fill em with beer.

I think I can fit about 3 more kegs inside if I really wanted to, especially with the tanks external. I have some plans to paint this fridge up here in a week or two. Thinking something along the lines of Banksy graf work. I'll keep ya'll posted.
 
  • #373
Black IPA
101_1529p.jpg
 
  • #374
Cool, I have yet to brew one.

I have a dunkelweizen needing to be bottled this week.
 
  • #375
OMG. I got this Christmas present from an old girl friend (dated 40+years ago). She bought it from Bed Bath and Beyond. Go figure.

http://www.mrbeer.com/images/products/87b-LRG.jpg

How simple can you get?

http://www.mrbeer.com/images/kits/img-beerkits-main.jpg

It will probably give me the bug to learn how to brew (again); as I set here drinking "Wheat State Golden".

http://www.mrbeer.com/
 
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  • #376
Thinking about brewing a barley wine for the first brew of the year, looking at getting up to 13% ABV with this one. Simcoe and nugget hops.
 
  • #377
Spoke with the gent at the local brewery in which I got 1st place with their homebrewing content. They are going to brew about 10-12 bbl of my beer in the near future. Quite cool.
 
  • #378
http://health.yahoo.net/experts/dayinhealth/10-surprising-health-benefits-beer

I had dinner with colleagues at Cambridge Brewing Company in Cambridge, MA. The seven of us order two towers (~84 oz) for the table. One was their IPA, and the other some kind of lager.
http://cambridgebrewing.com/beer/seasonal/

Next time I want to check out the Bannatyne’s Scotch Ale and their stouts and porters.
 
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  • #379
I saw the same article, drinking two drinks or so a day? no challenge there.
 
  • #380
  • #381
Shipyard has come out with a pretty nice stout. Blue Fin Stout.
 
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  • #383
I think all days should be a 2+ beer day.
 
  • #384
There always are here.
 
  • #385
Oh man I've been busy lately. I did manage to get a brew going on the 3rd of this month.
6lb Pilsen LME, 2lb Extra Light DME, 1lb Light DME, 8oz Caramel 10L, 2oz Columbus, 1 oz Chinook, 1oz Summit, 1oz Centennial, 1oz Amarillo, Wyeast 1272. This was my first time using yeast nutrient, also the first time I've overflowed the fermenter airlock. Can't wait to bottle these up. Next up is either an American Lager or American Wheat. I need to treat the friends.

I've also managed to try some good craft brews recently. Founders Double Trouble was super pungent and aromatic. Tasted like hops saturated with dirty socks, in a good way. There was also a Tyrenna Chipotle Smoked Porter that I liked. Peppery in the nose, but very good chocolate taste. I was able to snag some Pliney the Elders that are going to be sent in very soon.

Very cool gift dlgoff, were you able to get a batch going yet?
 

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